Chiller: Part Five: And we are back
by Gillen1962
Summary: And We are back: Sorry for the delay. Anna meets Grant. TJ is in trouble. Mac and Jordan discuss Quantrill Raiders with Judge Roy Ward. Sonny and Carly reunite and Alexis is reflective.


_Chiller: Part Five: And we are back._

"Oh, like hell." Anna Devane said as she balled her fist and socked Grant Putman in the mouth. She went to follow up with a kick when her former brother-in-law and current Port Charles Police Commissioner Mac Scorpio caught her by the waist and spun her.

"Slow Down Anna." He said.

"And it is so nice to see you again too Anna" Grant Putman said rubbing his jaw. "How is Robin? She must be …what nearly forty?"

"Do not say her name" Anna hissed. She turned and looked at Dr. Kevin Collins who stood next to Putman. "You clearly have a soft spot for madmen."

Kevin gave a thin smile. "Mr. Putman, has been released by his sanatorium into the custody of the Government of Malkooth who then sent him here as a special assistant to their Ambassador."

"Alexandria Quartermaine" Anna said flatly.

Kevin nodded and went on. "Yes. The US Government asked for and Basil DeLescrote the Prime Minister of Malkooth agreed to a few terms."

"I have to be in therapy." Putman said with an inane smile. "I am supposed to stay 1000 Yards away from you Anna, after this meeting, I assume, and I need to report into the PCPD once a week."

"Well whoop dee doo for diplomacy." Snapped Anna.

Grant gave a nod. "My therapist said that Dr. Collins was the best person for me to see while here in Port Charles, so I went there first and then we came here to see, the Police Commissioner, even before I went out to the Embassy and reported to Ambassador Quartermaine. I was so surprised to find out that Roberts older brother was the Police Commissioner now."

"Younger Brother." Mac said. "I'm the younger brother, by far."

Grant shrugged. "I guess I am still seeing Robert as he was the last time, I saw him. And you as well Anna."

"Do not speak to me. Ever."

Grant shook his head and turned to Kevin and Mac. "Can I go now and report to the Ambassador?"

Mac looked at his best friend Kevin, who nodded slightly then said. "Go, but Putman we will be watching you."

"I expect you in my office tomorrow at Nine A.M." Added Kevin.

"Bye" Grant said with a small wave.

The trio watched him exit.

"We need to address the Alexandria problem." Anna said. "Before someone even worse shows up."

"Who could be worse?" Mac asked.

Anna shrugged, "Helena, my sister, Frank Smith"

"Ryan." Said Kevin

Mac shivered.

Carly sat at the bar of the Metro Court sipping the largest martini they could make her. She had to admit that while she missed the Art Deco look that she had designed for the restaurant, the more business casual look of Jax and Olivia's redesigns did seem to be attracting a larger crowd. She supposed in the long run Jax was right about the clientele of the Metro Court. For Carly owning the hotel had been an entrance into Port Charles society, but the truth was that the numbers of that society were far too small to sustain a high-end hotel for too long. She knew that for the last five years of her ownership the rental she revived from Aurora Media and Crimson Magazine had actually been the sustaining revenue of the hotel. The night to night room bookings were always down.

Jax and Olivia had redesigned the hotel and the restaurant to appeal to the business traveler who was more likely to stay the night in Port Charles. The colors were darker, warmer. The food less cutting edge and more filling. And the place was packed. She had spoken with Olivia and the hotel itself was now turning a profit, something it would need to do since Aurora and Crimson would soon be moving to their new offices at the Outback Studios.

Carly reflected, that the city was changing almost as much as the lives of those around her. The alliance that Mayor Laura Webber Collins had formed between the largest businesses in town, Aurora, ELQ, Taub Enterprises and Cassadine Industries, had created jobs and jumped started the economy of the city. Even Sonny's new construction company was booming. But Carly thought everything was different, she and Sonny who had once been at the forefront of Port Charles were now

marginalized. Yes, his business was doing well, as was the fashion house modeling agency that she now ran with Maxie Jones, but they themselves she felt were less respected.

For a while she had blamed that on Molly and the news story that she had published concerning Sonny's alleged treatment of Karen Wexler and other strippers at his old club. But as that revelation faded their status had not come back. It seemed that everyone was breaking old patterns.

Surely Sam and Jason's separation had nothing to do with Sonny and her, but rather that witch Rovena had gotten her claws into Jason and now he was questioning everything around him.

Her oldest Son, Michael had fully immersed himself in ELQ and more and more was Michael Quartermaine not Michael Corinthos. The person Michael now relied on most for advice was his cousin Ned, not Jason. Carly had heard that ELQ was about to break its long standing policy of not endorsing a candidate and was endorsing Judge Roy Ward for Governor of the state, she was surprised by this since Assemblyman Charlie Holt his opponent seemed very much to want to return things to the way they were. That appealed to her.

She thought about her daughter Joss. She needed to spend more time with her. She had not seen much of her since custody had shifted to Jax after the Sonny problems. Joss was still hurting from Oscar's death and the massive changes in her life. Still the girl had a good head on her shoulders and Carly knew that she would be okay.

She missed Avery, her stepdaughter who she had raised because Ava was incapable of being a good mother. Carly still did not understand why the court took the child from Sonny and transfer custody to back to Ava. Ava was a witch, while Sonny was simply a good man who had made a few mistakes.

Sonny Corinthos stepped into the elevator at the lobby of the metro Court and pressed the rooftop button for the bar and restaurant. He was he hoped finally going to get a chance to speak with Carly. He needed her.

"Need her." The ghost of Karen Wexler said as she stepped on the elevator. "But do you love her?"

Sonny looked at her with disgust.

The apparition of Lilly his late wife appeared next to Karen. "I am curious as well Sonny, I sense you need Carly, that you find her useful, that you have deep affection for her. But…"

"But what" He snapped speaking out loud something he rarely did any more to the ghosts in his head.

"But your feelings for her are not very different then they are for Jason. She is your friend, she is loyal to you, you see her as a partner, as someone who can help you but I sense no passion, no desire, no romantic love."

"Love is for suckers."

Karen laughed and looked at Lilly. "See how he feels about you?"

"I loved Lilly" Sonny said. "But that was a long time ago, the world is different now."

Karen pursed her lips. "You have never loved anyone but yourself Sonny. Not Lilly, not Brenda, Not Adela and certainly not Carly."

"Shut the Hell up." Sonny snapped as the elevator door opened. He was glad he had said that in his own mind, since the place was packed. He spotted Carly at the bar and walked on over.

Judge Roy Ward sat I Mayor Webber's office drinking a cola that his staff was sure to object to.

"So, no one was hurt?" Laura asked.

Roy shook his head. "No, Mrs. Scorpio mentioned that her husband was police commissioner, Dillon kept his camera's rolling and it seemed the combination of the two was enough to back down the bikers who had come in looking for trouble during my interview at the floating rib."

"I apologize on behalf of the city" She said sadly.

Ward held up his hand. "Please, these Quantrill Raiders appear in almost every city I go to. The ruckus they began in Southern Queens at a rally in Rockaway Beach was far worse."

'I don't like to think of things like that happening in Port Charles." Laura said sadly.

"Port Charles will be ground zero I am afraid. Both Holt and I have ties here, and the shifting economy of this part of the state is the primary campaign issue."

Laura rubbed her eyes. "Why did I think taking the job as Mayor would be simple?"

"Being an honest politician is never simple, you could try to do this job like Mayor Floyd did." Ward said laughing

Laura made a face. "And now he is back in town as the editorial voice of the Invader, and supporting Charlie Holt."

Ward shrugged. "That makes sense. Floyd is back by Murray-Walker the same people who own Mercy Hospital and who are the big bucks behind Holt's campaign."

"There is so little information on that organization" Laura said.

Ward nodded. "Yes, I know that Michael and Ned Quartermaine were having their chief of security look into the organizational structure."

"Curtis?"

"Yes." Ward said. "Curtis Ashford."

Laura smiled. "Well if anybody can find out who they are, it is Curtis."

Alexis Davis sat at a table at Charlie's Pub and drank her sparkling water. She picked at her frys and mused.

She was musing when the door opened, and her half-brother Valentin Cassadine stepped in. He walked over to the table and smiled. "While I am always glad to hear from you Sister, I do wish you had picked a less pedestrian place."

Alexis smiled. "I like pedestrian and besides I was tired of having these tete a tetes on Spoon Island."

"I am tired of having them altogether." Valentin said as he sat down.

Alexis pushed the plate of French Frys to the middle of the table. "Fry?"

Valentin shook his head. "I will skip it, thank you."

The two sat in silence for a moment. Alexis had been raised to fear the man sitting across from her, and truthfully with his murder of their nephew Nicholas and the seizing of the Cassadine empire he had given her little cause not to fear him.

Yet over the past several months, he had taken her daughter Molly, under his wing and treated her with respect and care. He had risked his life to save Molly and the other Malkooth hostages and invested millions into the Port Charles economy.

Either Valentin was changing or like everything else involved with the Cassadine's he was complicated.

"I came in hopes that this meeting was not another session of 'return Molly'" Valentin said.

Alexis shook her head "No, I asked you to meet me, after I had a conversation with Carly."

Valentin chuckled. "Well then it cannot be good, nothing good has ever come from that harpy."

Alexis could not bring herself to disagree. But she did not tell Valentin that, instead she said. "I was in the middle of pointing out to Carly that the world was changing, and that things were different then they use to be, when it struck me that I was not following my own advice."

"Oh?" Valentin said raising an eyebrow.

"I am trying to understand when the ground shifted beneath my feet?"

Valentin smiled. "You are a Cassadine the ground shifted beneath your feet the day you were born and has not stopped."

Alexis pursed her lips and almost gave her standard answer of I am not a Cassadine, instead she struggled but said. "Am I a Cassadine?"

TJ Ashford was very thankful that General Hospital Chief of Staff Monica Quartermaine had issued an open invitation to all of the GH interns to tour the legendary Rose Gardens of her late Mother-in-Law Lila at the Quartermaine Mansion. Most of his fellow interns did not take advantage of the offer, but he and a few others found strolling around the gardens to be relaxing after the pressure of being a medical intern.

TJ had additional pressure. His mother, head of Cyber Crimes at the PCPD Jordan Ashford was growing more and more disenchanted with his long-time girlfriend Molly Davis, well Molly Cassadine-Davis and it was the Cassadine portion that she was expressing the most dislike about. She felt increasingly that it was simply too dangerous for TJ to be around Molly.

TJ did not agree with her at all, but he had to admit that Molly was changing, but weren't they all. He and Molly had met at the beginning of high school now they were both adults, some change was expected.

TJ took one last deep breath of the Roses and walked out the side gate and onto Harbor View Drive. It was a three mile walk back along the river to the Hospital, TJ put his headphones on and walked lost in thought,

He had gone about a mile when he heard a man yell "Hey boy, what are you doing here?"

TJ took his headphone off and looked over at the two middle age white men standing maybe fifteen yards from him. "Just walking to work."

"Whose lawn are you mowing?" One of the men asked

"I work at General Hospital" TJ said automatically, without thinking how offensive the comment was.

"Right"

TJ put his headphones back in and began to walk away. "Hey, Boy" He heard the man yell

He did not turn around Instead he kept walking.

He had gone about three blocks when two private security patrol cars pulled up on the side of the street by him. An Officer got out of the car

"What are you doing in this neighborhood?"

TJ was startled. "Walking."

"What's your name?"

"TJ Ashford" TJ answered respectfully. "My Mother is Chief Ashford of the PCPD."

"Sure, she is. Let me see your ID."

TJ shook his head. "I am just walking. This community is not gated. I am not trespassing."

"Yeah ID. Now."

The second officer got out of his car. TJ stood for a moment. "Look I am not bothering anyone What is the problem."

The second officer took his taser out. "The problem is my friend asked you to show him some ID and you are resisting."

"I'm not resisting I am just asking why."

"Put your hands on your head." The first Officer demanded

"What?"

"Hands on your head." He repeated drawing his taser.

"You can't arrest me I did not do anything."

"You are defying a lawful command. The second one. I asked for ID"

"Fine" TJ reached towards his back pocket for his wallet.

"I said on your head." The first officer said

"Stop" said the second.

And that was when the taser hit TJ in the chest.

Elizabeth Baldwin poured more sugar in her coffee than was humanly necessary. Her husband Franco picked up his head from his plate of feta cheese frys, a new specialty of the house at Kelly's diner and said. "How about some coffee with your sugar?"

Elizabeth stopped pouring and looked at her husband. His sister Serena and her boy Friend Drew Cain sat across from them. They were trying hard not to snicker.

"Sorry distracted." She said smiling.

"By my charm and good looks?" Franco asked.

"Always."

Serena made a gagging sound. "Really? I can't stand this much love."

"Ahh why not snookums'" Drew said making a kissy face at her.

"Just don't Seal" Serena said smiling.

Franco looked at his sister and felt a warm surge, they had only recently met but he was very happy that they seemed to be growing closer each day. And he was very happy to see her with Drew, the man who was his chosen brother and with whom he had endured the nightmare of their childhood.

He wanted to ask his wife what really was making her so distracted but he read her body language and decided to let her wait till her own time to talk to them "So we have not seen you in town for a few days" He said to Serena

"You forget, even though my primary assignment is the Logan Hays Veterans Center, and helping the Veterans of Western Maryland, I am still an active duty JAG assigned to Fort Hood."

"Ahh a case on base? Something juicy?'

"Ahh three days camping in the snow for training." She answered.

"You have snow over there?" Drew asked.

"Ha, if you were in a real branch of the service Seal, you would know there is always snow at Fort Drum."

Elizabeth nodded. "For sure. I have lived here for nearly twenty-five years and I will never get used to the idea that we can be in the fifties here in the city and just on the other side of the harbor they have a foot of snow coming down"

Drew laughed. "And that, is why I was in the Navy, we tend towards warm water ports."

Elizabeth looked at the man she had first met as Jake Doe, devoid of all memory, then watched move through the time he believed he was his own twin brother Jason, till finding out that he was Drew Cain but missing his memories.

Now through the diligent work of Dr. Soumia Al-Fayheed and the hypnosis therapy of her own Uncle Tom Hardy, Drew was piece by piece regaining his memories. Elizabeth decided to test how far he had come.

"Where were you first stationed Drew?"

"I came in at Pensacola." He said confidently. Then paused. "Not that I remember anything else but that."

"Yet" Said Serena placing her hand on his

"Yet" He added.

"Oh man once you remember Pensacola you are going to love it" Said Franco. "I was there for Spring Break back in the 90's."

"Do tell?" Said Elizabeth smiling.

Franco thought for a moment. His face became sad. "Yeah, let's skip that. But Bro you will have good memories."

Drew saw the wistful look in Franco's face and said. "The four of us should go to some place warm for a long weekend."

"I'd like that" said Liz.

"Ahh but whose private plane to take." Franco said laughing

"Ours is in for washing" Elizabeth said sarcastically.

The foursome laughed.

Elizabeth shook her head sadly. "See this. This is what Steven is cutting himself off from."

Finally thought Franco the heart of the problem.

He nodded at Serena and Drew and they sat and let Elizabeth speak softly. "Uncle Tom found out some of the terrible things that happened to Steven in prison but even with all that, this is not the boy I grew up with this is not the man who was always so supportive of me when we worked together. He is angry and bitter and…" She stopped. She could not bring herself to say the word

"racist" Drew said softly.

Elizabeth nodded. "Grandpa Steve would take him over his knee is he knew."

Grant Putman followed the maid onto the veranda at the Taub mansion. He looked around and smiled. The fall air was chill, but not nearly as chilly as Alexandria Quartermaine planned to make it soon. The maid had told him to wait here for the Ambassador.

He was staring out across the gardens when a young woman in a Niqab stepped out of the main living room. "Oh Hello" She said. "I did not know any one was out here."

"Salaam" Grant said with a smile. He held out his hand "I'm Grant Putnam, and you are?"

"Fatima Quartermaine."

Grant's eyebrows went up. "Quartermaine? I've known dozens of Quartermaine's was even engaged to one for a while. I did not know any of them were Muslim."

Beneath her Niqab Fatima smiled. "I think" She said "I am the only one. Are you here to see Mother than?"

Grant's eyebrows went up "Mother, your mother is the Ambassador?"

"Yes"

"So, your father" Grant asked.

Before Fatima could answer Alexandria stepped onto the patio and said. "None of your Business Mr. Putnam"

Alexandria turned to her daughter "Dear if you could excuse us."

"Yes Mother, I am supposed to meet Soumia for lunch any way."

"Oh really" Alexandria made a mental note to follow up on that.

"Yes." Fatima said. She turned to Grant. "Nice to meet you Mr. Putnam"

"Grant" He said. "Call me Grant"

Fatima nodded and left.

"Never speak to my daughter again." Alexandria said coldly.

Anna Devane took a sip of the tea Lucky had handed her and leaned against the kitchen counter at Lucky and Soumia's house.

"How is Annie's leg" She asked.

Annie Devane, Lucky's WSB partner and Anna's goddaughter had injured broken her leg during the Malkooth rescue.

"Healing, she is at physical therapy now. Then having lunch with Terri." Lucky said "She is supposed to be back to go to the airport with Soumia and I."

Anna looked at Lucky's face and said. "You are about as happy to see Hajar as I was to see Grant Putnam this afternoon"

"Grant Putnam? How did he get out of Bedlam?" Lucky asked.

"Apparently our friends in Malkooth had him released to work as some type of consultant to Alexandria Quartermaine."

"Like hell" Lucky said as he poured some milk in his tea. Anna smiled, the little things we pick up from those we love, milk in tea is a purely Irish Habit that Lucky had likely learned from his late wife Siobhan.

"What would Alexandria want with him?" Lucky asked his boss.

"She likes using people who have a personal stake against us: My sister, Jerry Jacks, David Gray, the Dunbars, even digging up Scotty's long-lost sister Brooke Bentley and using poor Hutch's niece Jennifer."

Lucky nodded. "Keeping it personal in an attempt to keep us off balance."

"Exactly and frankly other than Fasion no one throws Robert or I more off balance then Grant Putnam"

"He kidnapped you right?"

Anna nodded. "The hell with that, we've all been kidnapped, he killed my mother."

She sipped her tea and sighed. "We need to end this thing with Alexandria once and for all."

Lucky nodded. "I am meeting with Michael Quartermaine tomorrow, we are meeting with the computer design project manager at ELQ, who launched the original satellite that Mikkos then used for the Ice Princess laser."

Anna nodded. "If there is some way to seize control of that satellite again that would put a stop to Alexandria's plans. She needs it, if she gets the formula."

Lucky shook his head. "We have to assume she is going to get the formula at this point. Our surveillance at the Taub estate is ninety percent sure that Jennifer Hutchinson and Arthur Cabot are both there."

"So, then she is extracting your Mother's repressed memory of the Ice Princess formula "

Lucky nodded. "But she will still need a chemist to recreate it."

"And we have one of the few capable of doing so on our side." Anna said. She watched the look in Lucky's eyes." What?" She asked.

"If we fall into the trap of thinking that Dr. Hajar Grashallah is on any one's side but her own, then we are fools."

"You really do not like her, do you" Anna said.

"No."

"But Soumia does." Anna said.

"Soumia's family and hers have a long history, they've known each other since they were children."

"Well trust her or not, for now she is all we have. "

Lucky shrugged "But just like the formula is useless to Alexandria without Hajar, Hajar is useless to us without the formula."

Anna nodded.

"If" Lucky added "We are recreating the formula?"

"Frisco and I have been back and forth about that for weeks now. The Ice Princess Formula is really far too dangerous to be in the hands of any person, country or organization."

"Agreed."

"But" Anna said. "Now that it is in the atmosphere that your Mother knows the formula, she will be continually unsafe, everyone will want to know it."

Lucky shook his head "So?"

"So Frisco's take on it is the WSB recreates the formula in order to deconstruct it and find the way that will render it useless."

"Rendering that Satellite useless would do the same." Lucky said.

"Either way the person to do is Hajar." Anna said.

"Yeah Wonderful.'

Valentin looked at Alexis and said out loud what she herself had been thinking. "The further you have run from being a Cassadine the worse the choices you have made."

She still felt the need to defend herself. "Now hold on."

Valentin put up his hand. "Wait, let me finish, please. "

She knew please was not normally in his vocabulary, so she nodded.

"I will grant you your daughters, especially Molly, were blessings, but the men who have fathered them?"

"They each had good points." Alexis objected.

"Really?" Valentin said. "it seems to me that it is their weaknesses that show through in your children, because you have run from your strengths. Ric Lansing is a brilliant attorney and could have been very successful, instead he has wasted his life in the shadow of his brother, seeking revenge, seeking acceptance, seeking whatever. His whole life has become a moon orbiting Sonny Corinthos."

Alexis had to agree, the accomplishments that Ric could achieve if he would let go of Sonny.

"Molly is not like that though" Alexis said.

"And you are welcome" said Valentin with a smug smile. "But Until she came under my wing, she was merely a shadow between her older sisters, was she not, her role was to defend them and the poor decisions that they each made?"

Alexis wanted to disagree, but she had committed herself to listening to what Valentin could say to her.

"Yes, to some extent" Alexis said.

Valentin nodded and then sat. "I could leave it at that, but if we are building a relationship then I will be honest. I have come to love Molly and I enjoy being her tutor, but I have not changed her. I have simply redirected her protection from her sisters to the Cassadine Family. "

"I cannot say that pleases me" Alexis said.

"Would you rather her protect the Cassadine name or Sam from the bullets that fly around Sonny Corinthos."

"Sam has moved away from that life" Alexis said defensively.

"Yes" Said Valentin "Has, her father has done many times, and each time he falls back into the trap."

Alexis did not like that Valentin had found yet another link between one of her daughters and their father, but she bit the bullet.

"And Kristina?"

Valentin tipped his head. "What do I need to say about your favorite child"

"I love them all equally" Alexis said defensively.

"Mayhap but Kristina is still your favorite because she is the one who always needs you. Like her unstable father she spins from one disaster to the next and she always needs you to save her, and you always do in the most unCassadine like fashion possible,"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Sister, where should I begin. Here look at her involvement with that cult Dawn of Day, because you would not handle it like a Cassadine, your older daughter had to go undercover, and tragedy after tragedy befell dozens of people because you would not take action."

"And what was I supposed to do?"

"Invite the cult leader for tea, poison him and then call me to make his body vanish." Valentin said simply

"I just can't go around killing people" Alexis said,

"But you do. Luis Alcazar, that Kiefer boy. You just do it in a far too public manner. And you do it this way because you will not embrace your inner Cassadine, and because you reject who you are, your daughters mimic their unruly fathers in order to find identity."

Alexis mounted in her mind the legal argument that Sam had no idea Julian was her father for years. But then again there were genetics. Instead she took a long drink of her soda water and said.

"Damn"

Sonny looked around and spotted Carly. With the ghosts of Karen and Lilly at his heels he walked over and sat down at the bar next to her. "Hi there" he said flashing his award-winning smile.

Carly looked at her estranged husband. She had to admit that he looked healthier than he had in months, as if he was finally back in control of himself after the long months that had included a stint at Shady Brook Mental Hospital.

"Hi yourself."

Sonny caught the bar tender's eye and said." I'll have a seven and seven and bring Mrs. Corinthos another round."

The bartender nodded.

"Mrs. Corinthos? Am I still that"?

"Do you want to be?'

Carly took a deep breath. She loved Sonny, as much as she could love any man. She wondered if she had even ever been in love or if everything had been about self-satisfaction.

Jax. She had been in love with Jax. That relationship had been as romantic as she had ever been with anyone. While she had been with Sonny longer, and it had been her ties to Sonny and Jason that had eventually destroyed her relationship with Jax, her relationship with Sonny had never been romantic. There were very few sweeping moments of romance. No that had been Jax.

Sonny was transactional. He gave her or had given her the place in society that she wanted. He had given her power and had allowed her to instill fear in others. He had given her a way to provide for and protect her children.

What she thought could he give her now.

"Maybe" she said slowly. Then she shook her head. "I want it back all of it. Can we do that?"

Sonny smiled, if his plan was right, they would soon be far wealthier and more powerful then they had been before and with Carly running point then yes they could regain their place in Port Charles.

"Yes, and you coming home is the first step." Sonny said looking at her.

"Brenda" said Karen in his ear. "Brenda is the only one you ever loved. You know it, I know it and way deep in her soul Carly knows it."

It took all he had not to yell shut up to the annoying ghost.

"What is your plan the Construction Company?"

"The internet." Sonny said. "I hooked up with a group of Russian App and Web site developers"

"And?" Carly said raising an eyebrow,

"And there is a lot of money to be made in the internet."

"Online gambling?" Carly asked.

"Yes" Sonny said out loud. That too: He thought.

He smiled at Carly and said. "You coming home begins to make things look normal again. Slowly we rebuild. I …I miss you…I love you…."

"I want our kids back" Carly said.

"That goes without saying."

"Is Kristina still living there with you?" She asked

"Yes"

"Good. Next we get Joss and Avery home."

"We get it all back" Sonny said. He stood up and took Carly's hand. She stood and slowly they kissed. When they stopped Sonny looked over Carly's shoulder.

Karen stood there and yelled so loud his head hurt, but in sheer silence to everyone else. "Brenda"

Carly rested her head on Sonny's shoulder. Maybe it was not romance. But it was love. She deeply loved Sonny. She was not she thought one of those people for whom Romantic love was possible. Her thought of Jax had been an illusion for her there was no romantic love. She was just not the type. For her no man would make her heart skip a beat or her legs buckle. She was now convinced. She was happy. She was content.

She opened her eyes just in time to see Jason step off the elevator.

Laura had taken Roy Ward over to the PCPD headquarters and now the trio sat in Mac Scorpio's office speaking with he and Jordan Ashford about the upcoming rally that Ward was planning in Port Charles Park. At first his aides and Laura's aides had all but run the meeting then Roy had smiled at Laura and said to his staff. "Why don't you guys go on over to the Park and take some pictures and send them back to us."

"Both of us?" His assistant asked.

"Yes" Roy said smiling.

"And take Sly and Genie with you" Laura said pointing to her city manager and office supervisor.

The foursome left puzzled.

Mac and Jordan smiled at each other than at the Mayor and the candidate. "And now we can cut the red tape" Mac said.

"Exactly" Roy commented.

"Do you really think these Quantrill Raider bikers will be a problem your Honor?" Jordan asked.

"They have been everywhere else Chief. From Queens to Albany and back. Everywhere we go they show up and every where they show up there are security concerns."

"Concerns or problems?" Jordan asked.

"Sometimes both."

Mac was about to say something when there was a knocked on the door and a uniform officer poked his head in. "Commissioner? Chief? I think you better come out here."

Mac and Jordan stepped into the police bullpen.

TJ stood handcuffed in the middle of the room. One of the security officers kept a tight grip on his cuffed hands and rested a hand on his shoulders. TJ's clothes were disheveled, there was a bruise on the side of his cheek, and he looked dazed.

"What the hell is going on?" Jordan said moving toward her son.

"Hey lady get away from my prisoner." One of the rent a cops said.

"Hey Lady? I am the God Damn Chief of Cyber Crimes and that is my son." Jordan snapped.

"What is going on here?" Mac said.

"He was over by harbor View Drive and when we questioned him, he resisted arrest." One of the security cops said.

"What were you arresting him for" Judge Ward asked.

"He refused to produce identification"

"That was not what Judge Ward asked." Snapped Mac. "What was TJ Arrested for?"

TJ looked at Mac and then at his mother. "You don't know Commissioner? I was arrested for being Black."


End file.
